A local Department of Education (DepEd) official expressed optimism that schools in Bohol will be allowed to join the ongoing pilot implementation of face-to-face classes amid the continued drop in the number of active COVID-19 cases in the province.

Six schools in Bohol, two from each of the three districts, were initially included in the pilot program but were cut from the final list due to the high number of COVID-19 cases in the province.

According to DepEd Bohol Schools Governance and Operations Division chief Desiderio Deligero, they are hoping that some schools in the province will be added next year to the 100 schools nationwide that were included in the program and started face-to-face classes on Monday.

He noted that the schools’ inclusion is likely as the number of active COVID-19 cases has been steadily decreasing in the past two weeks.

“Nagpaabot to na dunay additional kay naa na man gyud kunoy plano sa central office ug sa region na mo dugang, ganina naay gi announce na basin sa Enero pa na pohon,” said Deligero.

“Hopefully mahitabo na kay mi usos naman pud ang kaso sa Bohol,” he added.

As of November 12, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Bohol was at 124, down from over 1,000 in the previous months.

While the six schools that were initially cleared for face-to-face classes will be the ones that will make the next cut, all the other schools in the province have also been directed to prepare for the possible resumption of physical classes.

“Ang mga skwelahan tanan gipaandam kay basig maapil sa additional,” he said.

It would be up to the DepEd’s central office to decide on which schools will be included in the pilot program.

Meanwhile, DepEd Bohol has also been pushing for the 100-percent COVID-19 vaccination of all teachers and other school employees.

Deligero, citing a new DepEd mandate, noted that starting December 1, 2021 school employees who are not fully vaccinated will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing for them to be allowed to report for work physically. (R. Tutas)